1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to indication devices for vehicles, and more particularly to improvements in an indication device for a vehicle wherein a mode and its output of an operational circuit for controlling the vehicle are indicated.
With the developments in electronics in recent years, electronic control of vehicles has advanced, thereby enabling an alleviation of the burden an drivers and enabling more comfortable driving. In order to effect the above-described electronic control, it suffice to require a driver to only select a desired control mode by a selective switch, whereby, after the control mode is selected, various types of controls of the vehicle instructed by the aforesaid control mode is automatically carried out by an operational circuit such as a microcomputer.
In consequence, in order to reliably effect the above-described control, it is necessary to cause a driver to positively recognize the thus selected control mode. Further, when the vehicle cannot be controlled by the thus selected control mode from some cause or other, it is necessary to inform the driver of it.
For this reason, indicating elements for indicating the control modes of the operational circuit are normally provided on an indication panel near the driver's seat. Further, when the vehicle cannot be controlled by the selected control mode from some cause or other, a self diagnosing function provided in the operational circuit is operated, whereby this trouble has been indicated by another indicating element for the exclusive use of such an indication provided on the indication panel separately of the aforesaid indicating element.
However, the provision of the indicating elements for indicating the control modes of the operational circuit and indicating the troubles of the operational circuit separately of each other as described above is disadvantageous in that the indicating elements, distributing cords and output terminals of the operational circuit in use are increased in number, the indication device is complicated in construction and the costs are increased.
Further, the thus increased number of the indicating elements in use as described above leads to lowered ease of reading the indication panel, on which these indicating elements are provided, and a possibility of disabling the driver from positively recognizing the control mode and its output of the operational circuit.